Erasing The Past
by Stupefy-my-senses
Summary: Draco goes to Hermione for help, but will she help and how will Harry and Ron react when they find out?


Hey:) I probably will continue this, but I have three other stories on the go, so you'll have to be patient with me. If anyone has read Spying on the order, I'm pretty much finishing up with that one soon, which is my justification for starting this ;) I have absolutely no plan for this, so bear with me. It was originally supposed to be a one shot, but my brain doesn't stick to plans. It'll probably wind up being dramione but don't get angry if it's a slow burn. btw: future chapters will be longer, I have no idea but my first chapters are always short. Anyway, I'm going to shut up before the a/n is longer than the chapter, enjoy!

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Hermione Granger liked to think herself a trustworthy individual. She thought she was capable of keeping a secret and liked to help those who required it. That is why she found herself in such a difficult position when approached by Draco Malfoy in the library last night.  
"Granger, I need your help." Hermione automatically recognised the voice, though she was not facing the platinum haired boy. His voice was the one which had taunted her, sneered at her and insulted her for the past six years. This is why his words confused the Gryffindor. She stood and faced the boy, thoroughly baffled by him. Why would Draco Malfoy come to Hermione Granger for help? When she took a moment to look at him, he looked petrified. Not angry, not just scared, he looked petrified, as if his life depended on her help. As if prompted by her silence, the Slytherin continued. "Please. You're the smartest person I know who could help. I need you to get rid of something." His latter statement only confused Hermione further, he had said please, and he had not yet once insulted her. Also, what would he need to get rid of? A body? Hermione slapped herself mentally for being so judgemental, though this was the boy who had done his best to make hers and her friends' lives a living hell. And besides, he wouldn't ask her to move a body, that would be telling her he had murdered somebody. Whatever it was, surely he could go to his friends? Hermione admitted that Crabbe and Goyle were perhaps not the people to go to for help, but surely Blaise Zabini would be able to help.  
"Why did you come to me?" She didn't ask it in a rude tone, or in annoyance, she was simply curious.  
"I didn't know who else to go to." Draco admitted, looking desperate. His palms were sweating and he felt faint, if she wouldn't help him, he was doomed.  
"Um... What exactly _is_ it that you need me to get rid of?" Draco had hoped she would agree before he showed her, but he should have known that she was smarter than that. He took a deep breath before lifting his sleeve and showing her the mark that had haunted his dreams for the past week. She gasped and stepped back, pulling out her wand without thinking.  
"I don't want to hurt you, Granger. I just need you to get rid of it." She returned her wand to her pocket and edged closer to the boy, reaching her hand out slightly. "I don't want to be a death eater. But I couldn't tell him that, he'd have killed me." Hermione nodded, tracing her finger over the lines, the lines of the mark which represented so much evil. It was so dark in colour, clashing wonderfully with the paleness of Draco's skin. If it wasn't _his_ mark, if it was simply a tattoo, it would have been beautiful. She noticed Draco flinch as she touched the skin.  
"Does it hurt when I touch it?" she asked, pulling her hand away, and flattening out her skirt.  
"Not really, it just feels weird." They stood, at the back of the library, awkwardly for a moment. "Do you think you can remove it?" Hermione sighed, feeling badly for the boy.  
"I-I uh... I'm not sure." Malfoy's almost white hair flopped forward as he lowered his head, afraid that she would say that. "I mean- I'll try. I can give you a spell to conceal it, but I'm not sure how to lessen the effects." He nodded, and thanked her, before leaving.

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_"Only a handful of studies have been carried out on the effects and removal of the dark mark. Unfortunately, most of these were carried out on corpses of death eaters, and cannot therefore prove valid when referring to a mark on a living witch/wizard. There is, as of yet, no known way of removing the dark mark and one former death eater, initialled R.A.B was found dead, having been killed in the process of attempting to do such a thing." _Hermione closed the last book in her pile, exhausted. She had told Draco that she would look into the mark and get back to him. How was she supposed to tell him that she couldn't find anything and she couldn't help him? She was still flattered that he had actually come to her. She set down the book and sat back in the chair, closing her eyes. There had to be somebody who knew how to remove it. What about former death eaters? Snape. Hermione could ask Snape. Dumbledore trusted him, so he couldn't be a death eater any more, and Malfoy _was _his favourite.  
"Hey, Hermione, have you done your potions essay? Mine- uh got covered in ink and now I need to redo it." It was funny really, Hermione thought, that Ron even bothered thinking of excuses, they both knew full well that he hadn't done it, and they both know that Hermione knew this.  
"Don't lie to me, Ron. It's here." She handed him the essay, standing up. She could go back to the common room now that her plan was fully formulated. She walked beside Ron back to the common room, planning on spending the night with him and Harry by the fireplace. She wouldn't tell them about her encounter with Draco. He hadn't told her not to, but she still thought he would prefer if she didn't.


End file.
